Privacy Policy

Here at Soft Power Education, we love letting you know what’s happening with our programmes and how your support is helping to improve lives right here on the ground in Uganda. We are also continually committed to protecting your privacy.

To help you understand how we use the information we hold about you, and how to let us know your contact preferences, please see the information below.

At Soft Power Education,

- We do: use your personal data to ensure we can provide you a great supporter experience and receive tailored, timely and relevant information about our programmes.

- We do: respect your privacy and ensure we meet the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

- We don’t: sell your data to third parties.

Due to new regulations taking effect in May 2018, we need all supporters to opt-in and choose how they want to hear from us. We would love to stay in touch with existing supporters, so please take a moment to update your preferences and if you are a new supporter, please find in this form and let us know how you would like to be contacted.

We believe that donors who give a recurring gift to Soft Power Education, those who have volunteered with us and those who have previously donated have a legitimate interest in hearing from us and that we already have your permission to contact you. However, you can update your contact preferences at any time using this this form.

Who we are

Head Office in Uganda:

Soft Power Education
Plot 6
Kyagwe Avenue
Jinja
Uganda

UK:

Soft Power Education
55 Guildhall St.
Bury St Edmunds
IP33 1QF

We also have two field offices, at the Amagezi Education Centre in Bujagali and on Kijunjubwa Road in Masindi.

We are a British registered charity (1098936) and Ugandan non-government organisation (5914/6430).

What information do we collect?

We collect the personal information that you provide us with as part of the volunteering process, through donation, sponsorship and GiftAid forms, during meetings with our staff, over email, written and/or telephone communication, and when you leave a comment on our website, Facebook (@softpowereducation) or Instagram (@softpowereducation) pages.

- Information about your emergency contact person: their name, postal address, email address, telephone number, mobile number and relationship to you
- Your dietary requirements, allergies, medical information
- The university/school you are attending, the course you are studying and the year of study
- The details provided on your online fundraising page
- Your flight and insurance policy details.

We also collect and hold information about the contact you make and the activities you take part in with Soft Power Education. This may include:

- Details of donation(s) made
- Details of products purchased
- Your Direct Debit/Standing Order details
- Your Gift Aid status
- The details of correspondence sent to you/received by you
- Any other information provided by yourself that is relevant to your relationship with Soft Power Education.

We do not collect any personal information from a minor without parental consent.

Why do we collect this information?

We collect personal information from you to help us allocate and administer your donations correctly.

Knowing your preferences also allows us to be efficient in our marketing and contact with you, our supporter. We use the data that you provide in combination with the contact permissions you agree to at the time of data collection. You can change these permissions at any time by contacting us.

There are some communications that we are required to send regardless of your contact preferences. These are essential communications, deemed necessary to fulfil our administrative obligations to you. This would include Direct Debit/Standing Order confirmations and notices, Gift Aid confirmation letters, incomplete cheques, bounced Direct Debit/Standing Order payments and automatic thank you messages (via online fundraising pages).

Volunteers – we are required to hold information about you to successfully host you as a volunteer. We are required to hold information about your emergency contact person(s) in case of an emergency. In these cases, we will always give you the option to opt in to other forms of marketing communication using these details.

Gift Aid – in order to claim Gift Aid on your donations from HMRC, we need to hold records of your name and address, your tax status and donation details.

What do we do with your information?

Depending on your relationship with Soft Power Education and the preferences you have indicated, the data we hold may be used by us for the following purposes

- To send you promotional, marketing or fundraising information by post or email
- For data screening to check if we have up to date contact details and preferences for you
- For research to help us understand our donors and potential donors

We also work to minimise any negative impact of your relationship with SPE. We will never repeatedly ask you for a donation or ask for an inappropriate amount to be donated.

How do I tell you my contact preferences?

When we ask you for your personal information, we will let you know why we are asking and how we will use it. We do this in a short information notice on our data collection forms and/or by directing you to this notice.

When you are not already a Soft Power Education supporter, we will ask you for your consent to use any details that you provide and guide you towards this notice.

We believe that donors who give a recurring gift to Soft Power Education, those who have volunteered with us and those who have previously donated to have a legitimate interest in hearing from us. You can update your contact preferences at any time using this form.

Who might we share this information with?

We will not sell, trade or rent your personal information to anyone.

How long do we keep your information?

We will check your preferences with you periodically to ensure that you are still happy with the way that we contact you. You can update your contact preferences at any time using the contact form.

We will keep information on our database for financial auditing purposes and to ensure that we don’t contact you in the future if you have asked to be removed.

Letting us know if your personal information is incorrect or needs updating

You have the right to question any information we have about you that you think is wrong or inaccurate. Please contact us if you wish to do this. If you do, we will take reasonable steps to check the accuracy of information and correct it.

What if you want us to stop using your personal information?

You also have the right to ask to us delete, remove or stop using your personal information if there is no need for us to keep it. Please contact us if wish to do this. In some circumstances we may be required to retain your contact information for a specified number of years e.g. for accounting purposes and claiming Gift Aid on your donation.

If you choose not to give personal information

We may need to collect personal information from you in order to, for example, successfully host you as a volunteer or claim Gift Aid on your donation. If you choose not to give this personal information, it might delay or prevent us from meeting our obligations or providing services.

Any data collection that is optional will be made clear at the point of collection.

How to get a copy of your personal information

You can get a copy of the personal information that we hold by writing to us at our UK address.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

We regularly review our privacy practices and this notice, and may make changes from time to time. Any changes made will be posted to this page, and will apply from the time we post them.